By Alesha Capone
Businesses located in the 3029 and 3030 postcodes have applied for the most JobKeeper payments in the state, outside of Melbourne.
Figures from the Department of Treasury show that 3681 businesses in the 3029 area – which covers Hoppers Crossing, Tarneit and Truganina – have applied for the federal government’s JobKeeper program.
Within the 3030 postcode – which includes Werribee, Werribee South, Point Cook, Quandong and Derrimut – 3272 businesses have applied for JobKeeper.
The 3000 postcode (Melbourne) placed first on the list with 6693 applications.
The JobKeeper scheme is a temporary subsidy for businesses significantly affected by the coronavirus, providing $1500 per eligible employee, every fortnight.
More than 884,400 Australian businesses have had their JobKeeper applications processed by the Treasury.
In Wyndham, the council has also put together a $5 million WynLocal Business Recovery and Growth Program in response to coronavirus restrictions.
This included $1.5 million in grants for eligible local businesses, to help them adapt and grow when emerging from the COVID-19 shutdown.
The council offered three levels of funding, with grants of either $5000, $10,000 or $20,000 available, based on a business’ size (measured by its number of full-time employees).
Applications for the grants opened last month and closed on June 9.
Wyndham’s future focused economy portfolio holder, Cr Walter Villagonzalo, said supporting the resurgence of the local economy was a strong priority for council.
“This strategic approach will ensure successful applicants will be given a great opportunity to implement initiatives that focus on recovery and longer-term growth as we transition to a post COVID-19 economy,” Cr Villagonzalo said.
He said the council grants aimed to support businesses willing to invest in new initiatives which foster entrepreneurship and innovation, including the resourcing of digital technology to drive market reach; investment in professional development; and the planning and implementation of alternative service models.
